Whether you’re hosting an event for your clients, launching a new product or service, or raising money for charity, events are a vital part of celebrating and communicating with your audience—and essential to brand building. However, events are also critical to shaping and maintaining a positive company culture for your team. That’s why planning internal events should always be an important part of your overall strategy.
A company is only as good as its team, so here are five reasons why you should host internal events for your employees:
1. Cultivates Connections
In this remote world, water cooler conversations have gone to the wayside. The pandemic shifted the dynamic of our workforce, with more people working remotely or hybrid than ever before. A June 2022 Gallup survey found that five in ten people are working hybrid, three in ten are working remotely, and only two in ten are working fully on-site—and this dynamic isn’t going away any time soon. An AT&T study found that the hybrid model is expected to grow from 42% in 2021 to 81% in 2024. Internal events play an important role in helping employees forge connections with each other (and leadership) outside of meetings and Slack. Whether it’s a remote wine tasting or an in-person get-together, sharing activities, conversation, and food promotes a healthy, connected working environment.
2. Bridges Communication
Company-wide emails have a purpose, but nothing can compare to dispensing information in person. Internal events offer leadership the perfect opportunity to share future plans, including your overall vision for the company, as well as announcements on upcoming travel or updates on ongoing initiatives. This way, you can build on the excitement that comes from well-received news, clarify any confusion through a live Q&A, and gauge levels of interest surrounding destinations for travel, new branding, or philanthropic outreach.
3. Boosts Morale
With employee turnover so high—an increase from 42.6% in 2016 to 57.3% in 2020, according to Zippia—hosting an event for your employees validates your team while showing that you care about their well-being. Engaging your employees and giving them time to relax, have fun, and connect with their coworkers validate your team’s efforts. These events serve as a great time to recognize and celebrate individual and team successes.
4. Builds the Team
Finding creative ways to bring your employees together can serve as a great opportunity to offer education or critical team-building opportunities. Whether you’re workshopping, food tasting, or ziplining, there are plenty of unique ideas to choose from that can bring your team together and promote trust, loyalty, and strong bonds.
5. Releases Creativity
In general, relaxed people are more creative. Looking to bounce some ideas around? Add gamification to your meeting of the minds. You can implement brainstorming games or hire a storyboarder as part of the entertainment. Turning a brainstorming session into a fun event can spark new ideas in ways the normal humdrum of the workday can’t.
The Impact
According to the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), employee socialization and engagement are key factors in employee retention. Internal events solve these issues while providing a host of benefits to the company and your team—including building and maintaining a positive, inclusive company culture that breeds loyalty and productivity.
Whatever the destination, giving your employees time to relax and connect will be important in 2023.
Make sure you’re making the experience for your top employees a powerful one and plan ahead with Top Incentive Trip Design Best Practices. Knowing this year’s Incentive Travel Trends for 2023 can help you decide where to go and what to do as you plan for the coming year.
Take your event experience to the next level.
